His Blessed Epiphany (A Regency Holiday Romance Book 9) Read online

  “You are absolutely wicked,” she breathed, looking up at him, and then lowering her head to kiss his chest. “Fine. Have it your way. You do whatever you like, with regard to her. As long as I don’t have to deal with her babbling away at me, I am content.”

  “You won’t have to deal with her. I promise.”

  She snorted. “And, what if say, she spits in your face? You might rile her temper again, and her temper is about as lovely as mine is when it is riled up.”

  “She won’t spit in my face. She is a lady.”

  “You know what I mean,” Fanny sighed.

  “If she scoffs at the very idea of making amends? Then, she can stay as she is. She can remain an outcast, and do whatever menial tasks Mrs. Davies assigns her. If her pride won’t bend, then I suppose she deserves her lot in life.”

  “Splendid. I love you so much, Felix.” She put her head back onto his chest, and within a few moments, he heard her breathing deeply. She had fallen asleep in his arms. He yawned, and closed his eyes. He could go for a nice little sleep as well.

  Just before he drifted away into the land of nod, as he was headed for Bedfordshire, he mumbled, “I love you too, Fanny.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  New Year’s Eve had arrived.

  They had received invitations to attend a ball that Lady Evesham had decided to host, but they had sent their regrets, choosing to keep to Blessing tradition by having a quiet New Year’s Eve celebration at Blessing Hall.

  “We haven’t gone out to a New Year’s Eve ball since Mama fell ill, and even then, it was a hit and miss because Mama and I hardly ever felt like celebrating in such a public manner what with Papa away from us. After Waterloo, Mama’s health was on the decline and so, we decided to keep to the Country and live quietly, aside from the fireworks that Papa usually has for us, we just play cards, and music.”

  “What about first footing?” he asked, watching her carefully for her reaction.

  “We have done first-foot in years past. It will be interesting to see who comes calling this year. Sometimes, if carolers arrive, one of them serves as first-foot.”

  “Do you hold to having a dark haired male do the honours?” First footing was a commonly held tradition where he came from, but he wasn’t certain how they would celebrate it here. He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of a first footer last New Year’s Eve, so some in this part of the Country did it, and some did not.

  “Usually, yes,” Fanny’s eyes twinkled merrily at him. “Mayhap, Peter shall pay us a visit. He could serve as the dark haired stranger. Every other year, someone from the village has done the honours, and they of course, get to come inside the nice warm house, and have a drink or two. If Peter comes it will be a change. He normally stays with the Aunts on New Year’s Eve. And then, tomorrow, they will burn a hawthorn bush out in the fields to bring good luck and bountiful crops, and sometimes we make crowns of hawthorn and bring some hawthorn branches into the house to hang them for luck. And many unmarried ladies will be rushing to be first to draw water out of the wells as they believe it good luck and a sign that they shall marry within the coming year. What will you do if Peter does come to pay a call on us tonight?”

  He chuckled. “In the spirit of the Season, I shan’t say anything to that. If he comes, we shall show him all due hospitality.”

  She smiled warmly at him. “Thank you, Felix. I think he has learned the error of his ways. He came by yesterday, and he was so cordial to me and my father. He was on his best behaviour, and he hasn’t acted like that in years. The old Peter was back. It was nice to see, and it warmed my heart considerably. The vulgar Peter was gone.”

  “I guess dumping him in the muck worked.”

  “Sometimes, one only needs to have a bit of a rude awakening to shock them back to the person they used to be,” Fanny mused.

  They were about to head on down to breakfast. “I will join you in a bit, Fanny. I think it’s time for me to go and attend to Miss Duffy.”

  “Are you certain?” she asked, looking at him in concern. “If you don’t want to do it, Felix, you don’t have to.”

  “I think we should ring in the New Year by putting behind us everything old. And what happened with Miss Duffy is old—and we want to have some good luck for the coming year. I want to start off fresh with her. I want to give us a Happy New Year.”

  “And that, Felix, is why I love you so much.” He kissed her lightly, and moved to their bedchamber door. This was it. He had to summon his courage and do what needed to be done.

  Maybe it was folly, to extend the olive branch to Miss Duffy. He could only pray that she would not throw his effort back into his face. He was all prepared for New Year’s, and for Fanny’s birthday. The day before he had gone to the village, and found a charming little Jewelers that had a lovely gold cross inlaid with sparkling garnets, and earrings that matched it. It wasn’t anything as grand as the parure he had bought her, but he thought it was bonny and it would look lovely on her elegant neck and he knew the delicate earrings would look beautiful, dangling from her exquisite earlobes, and now, he had the urge to go and rejoin her and kiss that beautiful neck and exquisite earlobes. He faltered, and sat down on a hall chair, while he considered what he had chosen to do.

  Unfortunately, he had a mission to accomplish, and he never left a mission unfinished. Standing up straight, he pulled down his waistcoat and walked up to the attics where Miss Duffy now resided. Rapping on her door, he waited for her to answer.

  The older woman looked utterly bedraggled. She wore a black plain frock, and her eyes were listless.

  A few short days living with the servants had almost ruined her. “Yes,” she said, without settling her eyes on him. Once she did catch sight of him, a colourful array of emotions flashed through their depths, vanquishing the listlessness. “What do you want from me, my lord?” she asked weakly. Her tone told him that she was absolutely exhausted. Apparently, backbreaking work didn’t agree with her. She obviously didn’t have the constitution for it.

  “I would like to restore you to your former position within this household, with just one caveat.” He could only hope that Miss Duffy knew what that word meant.

  “And what would that be, sir?” she asked, her visage brightening a bit.

  “You remain civil with me. Comport yourself like a lady, and be polite at all times, and you leave my wife the hell alone. Don’t get in her way. Don’t think you are her keeper, as you have no authority over her. You might be older than her, but you do not have any power over her. Don’t tell her how to do things, just sit there with your bone box shut and smile, and be grateful that you have a place here and you do not have to be one of those women who don’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out. I have been there, madam, and living in squalor is not the kind of life you could endure. You have hardly endured these few short days.”

  “I know,” she said softly. “I have been there myself, sir, and I do not relish the thought of going back into that hard life. I was wrong for doing what I did. I was an utter wretch, and I am frightfully sorry for everything that I did. I overstepped my bounds. You should be afforded the respect of your position.”

  “Of course, if you have something productive to add to the conversation do so, but don’t be a bloody pest. That is all.”

  “Can I move back into my old room?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Aye,” he said softly. “As I said, you will be restored to your former position, taking into consideration what I have just told you. But mark my words, Miss Duffy, if you go back to your old ways, no one will want you around. And as I said before, as long as you treat me with the respect I should be afforded—I will treat you with the respect of your station. I won’t call you Miss Thornback ever again. I swear,” he said solemnly.

  “Well,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “I might miss that. You were quite a formidable adversary.”

  “Oh, aye. Except if you go up against me, you won’t win.”

  “I lea
rned that the hard way. I will do anything you ask of me, Lord Spaulding. I have seen how the other half lives, one too many times in my life, and I do not want to ever go back to that world. Nothing but misery awaits me back in Ireland. My life is here. It shall be here until the day I die. It is the first place where I have found kindness. Those back in Ireland are rather dead set against me, and their minds won’t change on that subject. I will toe the mark, so help me God, I will.”

  “Good. That is just what I wanted to hear. Now, we shall all have a Happy New Year without anything tying us back to the old year.”

  “Why…why did you decide to ask me to come back? Why did you want to fix what I had broken?”

  “I…I was broken once, Miss Duffy. I was lost, and meeting the Colonel, well it repaired my life in ways you cannot imagine. He put me on the path that led me here, and I suppose that when you think about it, everyone needs someone that will make you a better person and everyone deserves that one person who believes in you and believes that you have the power to make a better world for yourself. I believe, Miss Duffy, that you have the potential to do just that. I think you can change, and instead of being an annoying little harridan, maybe with a bit of a blessing, you can turn into a…well, I won’t say angel because you are like me, I don’t think our lot can become angels. We lost souls should be happy just to be mere mortals, and pray that someday, someone will show us the way, and we will find our salvation. I also think that doing this is the best thing for everyone, including Fanny. You might have gotten on her nerves most of the time, but I do believe she misses you in her own way, even though she shan’t ever admit it. Sometimes, I think, it is nice for her to have a companion, except you were going about it the wrong way. Correct your actions, and I think that someday you shall even earn her complete forgiveness. Right now, I fear she is accepting you back merely because of me. Someday, I pray that will change for her.”

  Tears misted her eyes. “I…I don’t know what to say. I am lost for words. I suppose the only thing I can say is thank you, sir.”

  “Well, then,” he said gruffly. “I shall leave you to it. You can enlist a few footmen to help you lug your stuff back to your former bedchamber.”

  “Thank you, my lord. I will do that.”

  “Splendid. I shall see you later on tonight, and then of course, you will be around for Epiphany Eve. I can’t wait for when we go out to dance around the trees and shoot off our guns.”

  “I don’t think that’s exactly how it goes.”

  “Oh, do we dance around the bonfires, then?”

  “I don’t think any dancing is involved, although the night is often filled with revelry,” she smiled. “Only shooting and drinking, and the blessing of the trees, and singing, or you can blow a horn instead of shooting or banging on pans or drums.”

  “Well, as long as there is drinking involved, I will be there.” He grinned, and sauntered away.

  “It is Lady Spaulding’s birthday on Epiphany,” she called to him.

  “Aye, I know. I think it will be a grand day.”

  “Happy New Year to you, sir.”

  “And to you, Miss Duffy.” He paused briefly and then continued on his way.

  While he was still within earshot, he heard her say, “Thank you, God, and thank you, God, for life’s blessings, even if they do come disguised as fair haired giants who say what they mean.”

  *****

  Felix drifted aimlessly through the grand house.

  Dinner would be soon, and yet, he didn’t feel like settling down for the night. He felt quite restless. It had to be the New Year that was upon them making him feel this way. Lucky had left to attend the ball at Evesham Hall, and while Felix had respected his wife’s wishes for a quiet New Year, he wished she had had a change of heart. He kept hoping that she would say let us go, anyway, but she hadn’t, and he was stuck at Blessing Hall for the night. Not that it was a bad thing, he was just used to having scads of people around him on this special night.

  He considered going to the stables and going out for a ride. That might ease a bit of his restless spirit, either that, or ask his father-in-law if he could do some trap shooting. That always relaxed him. He could also seek out Fanny and see if she was in for a bit of a jolly.

  He was headed toward the music room when he heard someone starting to strum a harp. The calming melody enveloped him.

  An Irish Ballad filled the house, along with Fanny’s sweet voice. He stopped to enjoy the lamenting melody. Her voice sounded as if she had been touched by an angel. He sauntered with ease toward the Music Room, and found the Colonel sitting and listening to Fanny with Felicity snuggled up on his lap.

  Christian Blessing smiled at Felix as he entered the room, and placed his finger over his lips. If only the Colonel knew that he wouldn’t interrupt Fanny’s performance for anything. He strode over to where the Colonel sat on the sofa, and joined him. Fanny’s eyes finally met Felix’s, and he saw them flicker with delight. She continued along with the haunting lament. Her fingers stopped strumming the strings, as she came to the end of the song.

  The Colonel clapped, and he joined him. “Now, that could have only been made better if it was a duet with your mother.” He stroked Felicity, and she licked at his ungloved hand. She stood up and curtsied to them both. Her eyes went to the doorway, and a crestfallen expression crossed her features.

  “I…I heard you playing and decided to come and listen,” Miss Duffy said, her voice faltering.

  “Come in and join us, Miss Duffy,” Felix said calmly. He had already discussed his intentions with the Colonel so he would not say anything. He had agreed with Felix telling him to make quite certain that she adhered to the agreement they had struck.

  “I would like to do some trap shooting after New Year’s, sir. Would that be possible?” he asked.

  “Trap shooting,” Fanny said, excitement bubbling in her tone. “Oh, yes, Papa. That would be delightful. We haven’t done it in such a long time what with your health failing, but now that you are healthy again, we can take it back up.”

  Of course Fanny participated in that sport. Was there anything that his wife couldn’t do?

  “Yes, well, I suppose the weather is mild enough. I shall have them set it all up for us, and we can do some shooting in the afternoon on the second, if that is agreeable.”

  “Oh, yes, Papa. Indeed it is!”

  “Shall you be joining us on the Hunt, tomorrow, Felix? I think Peter is due to join us. He is rabbity when it comes to cricket but fortunately, not when it comes to riding a horse. It shall be the same crowd that joined us on Boxing Day,” Colonel Blessing said.

  Felix glanced over at Fanny. “I don’t want Fanny getting any harebrained ideas in her head.”

  “Oh, no, indeed, not. I have learned my lesson. I shall either stay at home, or ride with the other ladies in their carriages, and follow the hunt.”

  Felix groaned. He couldn’t quite say that going out hunting little foxes was his idea of a good bit of merriment.

  “Couldn’t we just chase the fox, and then, let the poor fellow go?” Felix asked.

  Colonel Blessing laughed. “I don’t think the other hunters shall go for that, Felix. They are pests, and we have to keep the population down.”

  Felix knew that they were pests to farmers, and yet, he still couldn’t see the point of the whole thing.

  “I shall…I shall take part in the hunt, if that is what is expected of me. I wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone. Neither would I want anyone to think that I cannot adjust to life in the Country.”

  “You can do whatever you would like, Felix. You could always stay at home with me and we could make up our little bit of merriment, Hmm…what do you think of that?” Fanny said, her eyes twinkling. “I don’t think the other ladies will miss me, and I can still do my duties as the lady of the house by staying at home. Mama never left Blessing Hall, did she, Papa?”

  “No. She didn’t. She, too, felt awfully grieved for the fox, and wou
ld have absolutely no part of it. She also didn’t think it proper for a lady to be anywhere near the whole business, so remaining here shan’t raise any eyebrows, Fanny. I shall have to find another lord in the area willing to host the hunts once I am gone, if Felix doesn’t want to participate.”

  “Peter might like to do it, but he shan’t have a country house, as you have cut him out of the inheritance, so I don’t know how he would host it, but I know he would be keen to take over the family tradition,” Fanny sighed. “There are other lords who could host it. They just never bothered because the Blessings have always held it.”

  Colonel Blessing had a twinkle in his eyes that Felix didn’t miss, and Felix wondered if the old fox had something up his sleeve after all.

  Felix smiled. He would have to find a way to work off some of his energy before midnight, and he knew just how to do it. Fanny’s dazzling eyes met his, and heat radiated between them.

  The dressing gong rang, and they all stood up. “Time to dress for dinner, everyone,” Colonel Blessing said, eyeing them. He carried Felicity in his arms, and the little dog let out an excitable bark. “Try not to be too late for dinner,” he said, slowly walking out of the room. “Time for you to dash off and dress as well, Miss Duffy. That plain little frock you are wearing won’t do for an evening meal, especially not the extravagant affair that Cook has planned tonight.”

  Felix waited for Fanny, and gave her his arm. She leaned into him. “Why do I have a feeling that we just might disappoint, Papa? You know he doesn’t like tardiness.”

  “Well, then, my love, I think you should get that beautiful little arse of yours moving.”

  She broke away from him, and giggling, she ran from the room. He was the hunter—and she was his prey—and he couldn’t be happier. He had everything he hadn’t ever wanted in life—and it suited him just fine. Ah, what a bloody fool he had been.

  *****

  It was closing in on midnight. They were sitting quietly playing cards, and he knew that the Colonel had readied fireworks to be let off directly at midnight, so they would have to walk out to look at them shortly.